Politics & Government

Rep. Peters Votes to Allow Americans to Keep Health Plans

Peters and 38 of his Democratic colleagues joined the Republican majority in passing the Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 by a 261-157 margin.

Rep. Scott Peters voted with a bi-partisan majority in the House of Representatives Friday to allow Americans to keep their existing health plans, even if they don't meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act.

Peters, a Democrat from La Jolla, and 38 of his Democratic colleagues joined the Republican majority in passing the Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 by a 261-157 margin.

Find out what's happening in Powaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Allowing people to keep their current health plans was a commitment the President made to the American people and he did the right thing this week in offering an administrative fix to honor his promise," Peters said in a statement.

"The ACA is a tremendous undertaking and will likely require more fixes as we continue to work through its implementation. I remain open to every idea, from Republicans and Democrats, to make health care more affordable for hard-working San Diegans."

Find out what's happening in Powaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Many existing polices are being canceled by insurers under the ACA, or Obamacare, because they don't meet new, higher standards. President Obama has proposed a one-year extension of plans that are in danger of being canceled.

Peters first voted for a Democratic-supported bill,. When that failed, he joined the Republicans in successful passage of a similar bill "because, in the absence of majority support for the Democratic plan, it was critical we pass a fix that lets people keep their insurance as promised."

Peters' 52nd District includes Coronado, La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Rancho Penasquitos, 4S Ranch, Rancho Bernardo and Poway, among other communities in San Diego.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here